An experimental study of steam turbulent jet condensation & upward propagation of thermal plume into sub-cooled water pool

Abstract

Supersonic steam’s axial injection into water in a cylindrical vessel (1 m high and 24 cm in diameter) was achieved through a nozzle of 6 mm diameter, located at the center of the vessel. Optical examinations were determined through a steam jet to find out condensation rate, which was allied with the steam mass flux (295–672 kg/m2/s) while leaving the nozzle’s exit. The Reynolds number (i.e., 41,000–73,610) has been estimated based on most swollen section of the steam’s jet. Further beyond the condensation zone, the steam, that has been condensed, progresses into a condensed steam plume, which is surrounded by the sub-cooled water. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) has been applied to focus region through the mid axis of the heated water plume along a vertical plane of 100 mm × 100 mm cross sections till 400 mm from the nozzle. Central upward averaged velocity profile of the condensed water thermal plume has been evaluated at 295 and 672 kg/m2s, both have hinted the exponential decrease of mean axial velocity when the plume travels vertically upward. The radial velocity distribution of the mean axial velocity across the radial dispersal of the jet, has been obtained as self-preservable and the mean axial velocity attained the Gaussian profile by incorporating appropriate grading of axial distance and mean velocity. Other significant aspect of the current work is to apply the buoyant scaling evolved from the single-phase non-condensing upward thermal plumes to the condensed upward plume through the relations of volume flow, momentum and buoyant being computed from the steam jet operating conditions. The source values of physical dimensionless parameters such as Reynolds number (Reo), Plume Richardson number (Ripo), entrainment coefficient (αo), buoyant vertical scale (Bo) have been evaluated. Based on the radial spread of the velocity profiles along the vertical distance from the condensation region, the dynamics of the thermal and the jet propagation has been highlighted through the evaluation of the dimensionless buoyant parameters along the downstream of the plume. The present experimental measurements obtained for condensed single-phase plume are compared with the experimental results of the non-condensed single-phase thermal plume to signify the vitality of the dimensionless parameters derived from non-condensed plumes.